FDP on families

The FDP wants to create more daycare places and invest more in early childhood education. Once the shortage of places is closed, groups are to become smaller.

The FDP wants more places in daycare centers. Every child should be able to get a place. Later, the groups should get smaller. Then staff have more time for each child.

The platform favors a broad mix of different providers. Funding and staffing ratios should take inclusion and more diverse groups into account, and multi-professional teams are to be strengthened. Centers should receive extra money for additional tasks and projects. Hesse's education and upbringing plan is to be updated, including on language, motor skills, digital education, inclusion and diversity.

The FDP wants childcare hours to follow families' needs more closely and wants parents to choose the facility, near home or near work. Home-based child daycare is to move closer to the municipalities.

Daycare should be open at times families need. Parents should choose the daycare center themselves. It can be near home or near work. Towns should be able to do more for home-based childminders.

When children are cared for outside their home municipality, costs are to be balanced between the municipalities involved. The platform treats home-based daycare as an equal form of care. It wants to examine an opt-out clause in the state child and youth welfare code allowing counties to hand over organization to municipalities by mutual agreement; these could then set pay and fees by local bylaw. Checking suitability and training of childminders stays with the public youth welfare agencies.

The FDP wants to expand the availability of pregnancy conflict counseling and family counseling. According to the platform, women often find it hard to locate a counseling center nearby.

Women need counseling before an abortion. Often there is no counseling center nearby. So the FDP wants more services. Women and men should find help easily.

The platform refers to the debate about unhindered access to counseling centers. It describes the situation of the women concerned as an exceptional psychological state. Access is to be simple and low-barrier for women and men alike.

The FDP wants to give children equal opportunities regardless of background and have trained staff accompany families with little money or education. There should also be enough childcare and school places so that parents can combine children and work and choose between educational approaches.

All children should have the same chances. The FDP wants to give extra help to families with little money. Trained workers should support these families regularly. There should be enough daycare centers and schools. Then parents can work more easily.

The platform provides for regular support from trained professionals and help with schooling, vocational training and further education. Social welfare offices should get enough staff to ensure the protection of children and young people at all times. Art and music schools and sports clubs that make a special effort for children from disadvantaged families should receive a state grant. According to the platform, family policy should cover all forms of living together, and everyone should decide for themselves what family means. The state social report should look more closely at how effective social benefits are and at upward mobility.